Dr. Irene Nzamu, MBS

Dr. Irene Nzamu, MBS, is the Head of Pediatric Hematology and Oncology at Kenyatta National Hospital (KNH) and an Honorary Lecturer in the Department of Pediatrics at the University of Nairobi. She was the first formally trained pediatric hematologist-oncologist at KNH and has played a pivotal role in strengthening childhood cancer services in Kenya.
She earned both her undergraduate and postgraduate medical degrees from the University of Nairobi (2005, 2012) and completed her clinical fellowship training in Pediatric Hematology and Oncology at Makerere University College of Health Sciences, supported by Texas Children’s Global HOPE, in 2020. She is a graduate of the African Leadership University Public Sector Leadership Fellowship and has undertaken advanced training at the University of Washington.
Dr. Nzamu chairs the Hospital Blood Transfusion Committee and serves as a member of the Hospital Ethics Committee, in addition to contributing to several institutional leadership platforms. At the national level, she is the pediatric oncology lead in the Focal Team for the Kenya National Cancer Control Strategy and a member of the Ministry of Health Technical Working Group on Childhood Cancer. She is among the pediatric oncology leaders involved in the National Pediatric Cancer Registry with the National Cancer Institute. She is actively involved in the establishment of the Kenya Pediatric Hematology and Oncology Society and previously served as Treasurer of the Kenya Society of Hematology Oncology (KESHO).
Dr. Nzamu’s work integrates clinical care leadership, implementation science, and health systems strengthening. She is deeply committed to advancing childhood cancer care and closing the survival gap for children with cancer in low- and middle-income countries.